E-M5 sensor cleaning

Anyone here used wet cleaning method to clean their E-M5 sensor? I made the mistake of doing it and now I see all the links that say its a big No as it damages the sensor and IBIS system. Just wondering if anyone else had any experience with that

Anyone here used wet cleaning method to clean their E-M5 sensor? I made the mistake of doing it and now I see all the links that say its a big No as it damages the sensor and IBIS system. Just wondering if anyone else had any experience with that

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So if the sensor needs cleaning, and they all seem to get there eventually, the E-M5 would need to be sent to Olympus, or ....? I would find this a major negative if that were the case.

im wondering the same thing. but one thing that i found is that the OMD auto-cleaning method is actually the only auto cleaning method system that ive used that actually works!. i havent got any dust spots on my images but ive been wondering if the wet method works if needed. apparently not?. is there more info about this or not?.

Yup, ive done it with little success since the sensor moves so much . I didnt break anything though. If your IBIS system works fine, then you didnt damage anything. I sent it olympus for cleaning.

Yes, i see it as a negative as well. I took mine to a camera shop recently to see if they can clean it after a trip to the oh so dusty Reno. I told the repair master about the IBIS system, and he said he wont even risk touching the sensor, but he did blasted it dry CO2. The CO2 worked quiet well, unlike my Rocket Blaster. Im thinking about getting a dry CO2 can, even though some people advise against it

Yup, ive done it with little success since the sensor moves so much . I didnt break anything though. If your IBIS system works fine, then you didnt damage anything. I sent it olympus for cleaning.

Yes, i see it as a negative as well. I took mine to a camera shop recently to see if they can clean it after a trip to the oh so dusty Reno. I told the repair master about the IBIS system, and he said he wont even risk touching the sensor, but he did blasted it dry CO2. The CO2 worked quiet well, unlike my Rocket Blaster. Im thinking about getting a dry CO2 can, even though some people advise against it

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Do you remember what Olympus charged for the cleaning? I'd be afraid of using air blast on IBIS, esp. the 5-way.

Nothing, i just had to pay shipping charges to NJ. I cant find the thread now, and my recollection of it is not perfect, but i read on dpreview that Olympus Australia said they'll give a forum member a certain number of cleanings for his OMD. Ill go look for the thread

Edit: its actually as many as you need as long as the camera works! according to Ollie2 on dpreview...thats Olympus Australia, not sure about US or other places

I think if your careful about it, CO2 could give u the extra Umph a rocket blaster lacks. Again, ive never tried it myslef, an experienced repair man did it for me.

Nothing, i just had to pay shipping charges to NJ. I cant find the thread now, and my recollection of it is not perfect, but i read on dpreview that Olympus Australia said they'll give a forum member a certain number of cleanings for his OMD. Ill go look for the thread

Edit: its actually as many as you need as long as the camera works! according to Ollie2 on dpreview...thats Olympus Australia, not sure about US or other places

I think if your careful about it, CO2 could give u the extra Umph a rocket blaster lacks. Again, ive never tried it myslef, an experienced repair man did it for me.

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WOW You got lucky. I was told it might cost up to $300 to clean it. I did send it in today since I am afraid that the spray got behind the sensor and might do more damage. I had a stubborn few specs of dust on it so i decided to use the lens cleaning solution on it. Stupid is as stupid does I guess

WOW You got lucky. I was told it might cost up to $300 to clean it. I did send it in today since I am afraid that the spray got behind the sensor and might do more damage. I had a stubborn few specs of dust on it so i decided to use the lens cleaning solution on it. Stupid is as stupid does I guess

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Who told you that?! Olympus?

If so, i suggest you call them again, and tell them to either clean it for free or a reasonable fee, or they can buy back their camera. Thats robbery if they quoted you that price.

If so, i suggest you call them again, and tell them to either clean it for free or a reasonable fee, or they can buy back their camera. Thats robbery if they quoted you that price.

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I definitely will once I will get official repair estimate. The $300 estimate was quoted by the customer rep so I will wait and see if they will just clean it and send it back. You are right about it being highway robbery. Charging a third of the camera price to clean a sensor on a system designed for lens swap is absurd.

Yup, ive done it with little success since the sensor moves so much . I didnt break anything though. If your IBIS system works fine, then you didnt damage anything. I sent it olympus for cleaning.

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Didn't really think of it at the time, but this seems to be a major drawback of the free-floating sensor stabilization design. When the sensor does inevitably pick up dust that the shaker fails to get rid of, cleaning will be expensive. Even the usual $60 that camera stores charge is more than I want to pay, and the $300 quoted upthread is insane.

"I wasn't aware that I had an email from Olympus support in my inbox when I made my previous post, so please what may appear to be inconsistencies between it and this more current posting.
Here's what I asked Olympus support this morning, followed by their reply back to me. Note that at least some of them monitor DPReview; that's a good thing. It shows they care what their customers are saying.

I wrote:
Question: Can you tell me if it is possible for an individual to "wet clean" the sensor of their E-M5? And, if they do, does it void their warranty? I read on the DPReview Micro Four Thirds forum that the sensor moves around due to the way it is connected to the stabilization system, making it risky if not impossible to clean the sensor. I ask this because I am seriously considering buying an E-M5. Thanks for your help.

They sent me an email back with the following response this afternoon:
Dear Joseph,
I saw that thread on DPReview this morning. The sensor should not be "wet cleaned" or touched by anything. The sensor floats in a magnetic field and moving the sensor with any object can damage the image stabilization assembly. It should be cleaned by a qualified Olympus repair technician.
I also noted someone suggested using a Q-Tip. While cotton may feel soft, the fibers are actually very coarse and may act like a very fine form of steel wool.
Regards
Olympus Imaging America
---Original Message ----
From : Olympus - Distec
To : e-slrpro@olympus.com
Subject : Fw: (Ticket #2448926) [INTR:1128035]
Date : Wed, 09 May 2012 16:46:17 GMT
-- show signature --"

Didn't really think of it at the time, but this seems to be a major drawback of the free-floating sensor stabilization design. When the sensor does inevitably pick up dust that the shaker fails to get rid of, cleaning will be expensive. Even the usual $60 that camera stores charge is more than I want to pay, and the $300 quoted upthread is insane.

DH

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I honestly dont think they'll charge the OP. But your absolutely right and im sure we'll see more posts about it as time goes on. Someone could devise a contraption that stabilizes the sensor of the OMD for cleaning. I wouldnt be more than a piece of plastic, something that would sit on the lens mount and have a piece shaped like a caliper that extends down to the sensor. It would sell.

Okay, I am a little confused here. Isn't there a glass on OM-D's sensor? I have a small spot that I need to clean but after this thread I am not really sure. BTW, here's a thread to the shattered glass which made me think there was a glass so it would be relatively easy to do wet cleaning on spots on the glass:

If you touch the sensor it moves around. I was told it is suspended so touching it might mess up the is. I also had a spec that would not go away, which started the whole issue and I sent the camera in to Olympus. You might want to call Olympus

After reading this thread I decided to run a sensor swab across my EM5. Also gave my EPM1 its first clean. Neither needed it.

Yes, the sensor will move on the EM5 if I press the swab firmly. I didn't do that the first time. With a light swipe, which is what I usually do, it didn't feel like it was any different from my EPM1. Then with a second firmer pass, I could see the sensor move.

Did I bust my camera and is a light swipe sufficient? I cannot say. I don't go looking for dust, but I have see big time debris get caught in my EPL1. That was the only time beside today when I cleaned an M43.

I used a ready made kit. Pre-fab swab with a few drops of Eclipse Optic Cleaning Fluid. The pre-fabs are the wrong size for M43.

It's always a personal judgement on sensor cleaning. Coming from an APS-C camera that needed it monthly, it never seemed like a big deal. I do agree the EM5 with its floating sensor might need a factory clean, but wonder how that differs from what I do. Well, I bet they use a clean bench, and blow out the innards with filtered nitrogen. I believe the 4/3 DSLR's had a tacky strip below the sesnor to catch dust. Maybe they change that, if M43 models have one.

Given I have a huge spot of dust on my sensor, this thread was useful. I can't believe you can't self clean this thing or even take it to a local camera shop to get it cleaned. It's unbelievable you have to send it into Olympus!

What is the turn around time and anyone have a cost? The earlier statement of $300 is ridiculous.

Given I have a huge spot of dust on my sensor, this thread was useful. I can't believe you can't self clean this thing or even take it to a local camera shop to get it cleaned. It's unbelievable you have to send it into Olympus!

What is the turn around time and anyone have a cost? The earlier statement of $300 is ridiculous.

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a week, and it should be free. Ig7 didn't end up paying anything, neither did I